I just returned from a long Labor Day weekend sailing around Martha’s Vineyard on the Shenandoah. Vineyard Haven was filled with tourists and summer residents on Labor Day. There were not quite as many as in July and August, but there were enough to make it still seem like summer vacation time. We could not sail in our no-auxiliary-powered boat on Labor Day because it was too windy (gusts up to 35 knots). So we cruised the town along with all the other Labor Day visitors. The next day dawned bright and breezy enough for us to sail, so off we went. We spent Tuesday night anchored off Naushon Island and then sailed back to Vineyard Haven on Wednesday. The change in Vineyard Haven from Labor Day to Wednesday was like night and day. On Wednesday afternoon when we set foot on terra firma again, there were extremely few summer visitors about. In fact, even many of the boats moored in the harbor had departed, so the town seemed deserted and a bit lonely. The stores, galleries, cafes and ice cream parlors were still open, but with only a few customers wandering about. The Black Dog Wharf, which is at the heart of Vineyard Haven’s waterfront, seemed forlorn without the visiting yachts, sailboats, sailors and boat-loving groupies that usually throng the area. There was an end-of-summer sadness about the place. We all complain about crowds at summer destinations, but the truth is they often bring life and energy to a town or tourist attraction. Humans are social animals and thrive on the presence of other people. People bring life and energy to wherever they go, be it a museum, the Acropolis, the Champs-Elysee or Martha’s Vineyard. So I’m going to stop complaining about crowds. However, I will still complain about heavy traffic. -Dick Evans, vice president